Taunton cheerleading center fundraiser helps family of 12-year-old who died in crash

Cheerleaders rallied in Taunton on Friday night to remember the life of a friend and to support her family.

Dozens of girls gathered at Cheer Legacy Cheerleading and Tumbling Training Center to honor the life of Angel Pina, a fellow cheerleader from Norton, who died at age 12 on July 12 in a crash on Route 24 on her way to cheerleading practice in Avon.

Cheerleaders rallied in Taunton on Friday night to remember the life of a friend and to support her family.

Dozens of girls gathered at Cheer Legacy Cheerleading and Tumbling Training Center to honor the life of Angel Pina, a fellow cheerleader from Norton, who died at age 12 on July 12 in a crash on Route 24 on her way to cheerleading practice in Avon. Pina’s mother, Sandra Ouellette, remains in the hospital in critical condition, the cheerleaders said.

“We’re trying to help her family,” said Marianne Rogers, owner of Cheer Legacy, a sister gym of Cheer Factor in Foxboro, where Pina participated in cheerleading for the last two years. “It’s so tragic. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, no matter what sport. Trying to get them somewhere and (having) something like that happening is every parent’s worst nightmare.”

Kerry Rogers, co-owner of Cheer Legacy in Taunton, also helped organize the event.

The cheerleaders brought donations for Pina’s family to an “open tumble” session on Friday night at Cheer Legacy. Similar fundraisers were held at Cheer Factor facilities in Foxboro and Hanover as well.

Several of Pina’s friends who knew Pina through cheerleading attended the fundraiser.

“It’s tragic,” said Arielle Moore, a 13-year-old from Taunton, who first met Pina at a Cheer Factor All Stars event about a year ago. “It was unexpected. It’s sad. But we are trying to help. I think that it’s good to raise money for them.”

Moore said she remembered Pina as a truly cheerful cheerleader.

“I know that she loved cheerleading a lot,” Moore said. “She was always friendly, and nice.”

Trinity Williams, who was helping out on Friday night, said that she first met Pina last year at Cheer Factor.

“She was instantly nice to me,” said Williams, 14, of Taunton. “She was always talking to me whenever we were in the gym. I was sad when my mom told me about her dying. I started crying. We were really good friends last year. It could have been anybody. Sadly, it was one of my good friends. I hope her mother will be okay.”